Ningas Kugon

2025 | South End Art Hop | USA

Dried cogon grass ignites easily, but burns out quickly. Made with cogon grass and other plant fibers, Ningas Kugon depicts an unguided bomb free-falling over a field of cogon grass.

Ningas kugon is a Filipino phrase that translates to "fleeting enthusiasm," or the tendency to start projects with intense passion or excitement, only to abandon them shortly after. Ningas kugon mentality is often criticized in Filipino culture as a barrier to long-term progress and commitment. But this mindset is not exclusive to the Philippines. It also mirrors how the US engages with foreign conflicts, especially through its military interventions across the globe.

Time and again, the US has supplied and dropped bombs on foreign soil, driven by its own self-interest. It justifies these actions with bold claims about 'justice,' 'democracy,' or 'national security' without considering the long-term fallout for the people living there. When its priorities change, the US withdraws, leaving those countries to cope with the lasting damage on their own. This pattern reflects a kind of geopolitical ningas kugon: a sudden interest in foreign conflict for economic or political gains, with a total disregard for the lives lost through the process, and a lack of foresight to see its long-term consequences.